


Divine

by CanderbreadCookie56



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akira's alter ego is a smug asshole, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Arcana - Freeform, Attempt at Humor, Detective Akechi Goro, Detective Prince, Embarrassment, Fantasy, Good Akechi Goro, Goro is not having a good time, Humor, Kidnapping, Light Bondage, M/M, Metaverse (Persona 5), Mutual Pining, Royalty, Shadows (Persona Series)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:34:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanderbreadCookie56/pseuds/CanderbreadCookie56
Summary: Long ago, when the world was new and abundant with light, the Arcana existed as gods over the mortal realm. The world prospered under their balance and rule, as no one outpowered the other. They coexisted peacefully, watching the humans from their transcendent thrones.But that all changed…One fateful year, a mysterious figure of great power challenged each of the Arcane powers. One by one, they fell. However, not wishing for them to disappear, a strange creature called Igor instead sealed each of their souls in a mortal form. Trapped, scattered, and without the memories of their divine heritage, Igor calls forth the Fool Arcana to restore that which was taken. But can Akira get all his fellow Arcana to remember their true selves before time runs out? And why is the Juctice Arcana, the one set on knowing the truth, so resistant?
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 18
Kudos: 93





	1. An Unsuspecting Victim

They had done it… Yet, Goro couldn’t bring himself to feel satisfied. He watched critically from behind the glass into the interrogation room. It was a one way panel. He could see in, but the suspect couldn’t see out. 

So why was their suspect staring straight at him?

It could be for show; staring out at the mirror as if he could actually see through. It could be a tactic to bring the young detective off his guard. The way Kurusu-kun smiled was somewhat eerie, and the ‘eye contact’ didn’t help. After a plethora of confusing crimes, they had finally caught, what Akechi highly suspected but didn’t yet have the confession to solidify, the Phantom Thief leader. It turned out to be no more than another highschooler, similar to himself-

No, he chastised himself. Akira Kurusu was nothing like him. He was a lowly criminal whose ways were as yet unknown. Stealing people’s ‘hearts’ to make them confess their crimes of their own volition. How does one even begin to speculate the methods at which this is accomplished? And the way Akira simply smiles, alone and handcuffed to the table yet looking as confident and in control as ever. Goro despised it. He’d fought for the right to interrogate him, at first being brushed off because of his age. He might have been Tokyo’s beloved ‘Detective Prince’, but the higher ups were still skeptical to let an eighteen year old question the country’s most notorious criminal of modern day. What was worse, a large portion of the general public supported the Thieves. He could understand, with some begrudging acknowledgement, why. There was no doubt the Phantoms had helped people. All the way from victims of sexual abuse to those preyed on by the Mafia. 

Those things were admirable… what Goro Akechi could not accept, however, was the lack of answers. The smugness of their suspect and how the Thieves had undermined the police force and  _ everything  _ he fought tooth and nail to achieve. He had the credibility he needed to open an investigation on Shido and be taken seriously, but with the Phantoms at large that would be the last thing to garner attention from the public. He couldn’t allow this mess to get in the way of a revenge long in the making. It would be so satisfying to knock the asshole right out of power and land him in a prison cell, courtesy of his own abandoned son. 

Assertive footsteps trailed over to where Goro stood, and he didn’t need to turn around to know whose they were. Sae Nijima joined alongside him in staring at their peculiar captive.

“He’s been sitting like that since I left for lunch several hours ago...” She murmured. 

“Were you able to gain anything from your interrogation this morning?” He asked, actually somewhat hopeful. Nijima was a competent woman, and being on the receiving end of her calculating eyes was intimidating whether it was an interrogation or not. 

The way her gaze narrowed answered the question before she did. “Nothing… Nothing that didn’t sound like something out of a fairytale, at least. He kept going on about alternate worlds and tarot cards.”

It was clear from the soured tone of voice as she said this that Sae-san was frustrated. Not an uncommon sight, but still one that meant trouble. Akechi blinked at her brief recount of the interview. Alternate worlds…? Tarot cards…? It wasn’t as though suspects didn’t lie or say strange things to throw off investigators, but spinning such a wild tale? His lips closed into a thin lined frown, brows furrowing at the mess of black hair and steely grey eyes. Those eyes were a bit haunting. 

“Perhaps speaking to someone closer to his own age will earn us a little more intel.” Goro said, though there was a hint of doubt in his tone. “I do have the benefit of having met Kurusu-kun before this.”

“Oh, that’s right… You frequent the coffee shop he works at, don’t you?”

“Only after you suggested it. You were right, by the way. Leblanc has a particular atmosphere… I never imagined I’d see it’s quiet bartender in handcuffs, however.” He said, mulling over all the times he’d had insightful discussions with Akira. All the times he sat drinking coffee, playing shogi, going to the batting cages, etc… Kurusu-kun seemed like an intellectual equal, and one of the few people his age which Goro exchanged contacts with. As soon as his investigation became clearer and Akira showed up as the prime suspect, Akechi didn’t know what to think. 

Still, there was a job to do… 

“I suppose now is better than never.” Goro muttered, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I’m fortunate to even have the opportunity to interrogate him. I was originally told ‘no’, but the vice director called the next day and said someone on the force had vouched for me. I wish I knew who it was so I could give them my proper thanks.” 

Sae-san said nothing to this apart from ‘good luck’, and Goro almost cracked a smile to himself. She was modest as always, and he had a sneaking suspicion that she was the one who pushed the opportunity for him, but she would never admit to that. He didn’t want to ruin it either way, only indirectly make it clear he was grateful. 

He scanned his access card at the door, and it unlocked with an audible  _ ‘click’  _ that was certain to get their captive’s attention. Goro entered, and the moment their gazes met, the detective couldn’t help but quirk his lips in a slight smirk. 

“Good evening, Kurusu-kun.” 

The boy, adorned with handcuffs, let out a breathy chuckle. “Why the formalities? You used to be just fine calling me by my first name.”

Akira’s voice was deep and smooth as ever, and Akechi found himself cautious as he sat down across from him. It wasn’t missed how eager to speak their subject was. After all, the detective had grown so used to Kurusu’s quiet nature. He was rare to speak, but when he did, it was usually something noteworthy. But the way he sat now, almost restless and quick to retort, was concerning. Different in a way Goro wasn’t sure he was comfortable with. 

“Well, that was before I found out my shogi partner was in fact a wanted criminal.” It was best to keep the mood as light as possible. Akira seemed comfortable, happy even, to see Goro’s face for whatever reason. The detective would play that to his advantage. It’s easiest to slip up when relaxed. 

Akira, with a bit of sarcasm, hummed. “Am I? I wasn’t aware…”

The brunette was not impressed by this. “Do you know why you’re here, then?”

“I was so dashingly handsome, the police arrested me~”

Something was very clearly off here… Even on the odd occasion that the ravanette would crack a joke- _ flashback to the ‘honey, I’m home’ incident _ -he was never so cocky and taunting. That smirk on his face was familiar, yet distant. As if Goro was looking at a complex alter ego. Either that, or Akira was just a  _ really  _ good actor and had been playing the friendless detective for a fool this entire time. The possibility left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“This isn’t the time to be making jokes, Kurusu.” His voice became firmer, adorning the authority he’d fought to claim. “Do you have any idea of the charges against you?”

“So I’ve been told… Nijima-san was scarier, by the way.” Akira taunted in the face of his rival’s sternness. It only seemed to please him more that Goro refused to falter at this. 

“You’re facing a lot of prison time.” He stated bluntly.

Akira smiled again, eyes gleaming with a sort of mischief. “And where’s proof of the allegations being made against me?”

Goro went silent.

“Oh… I see. You have suspicions, but nothing to actually connect me to the crime in a way you can understand.” He clarified, and Akechi found himself getting somewhat vexed despite keeping a calm exterior. 

“Hmpf. Care to elaborate, then?” He urged, not actually expecting to get something so soon. 

“With pleasure~”

Goro straightened up a bit at this, eyeing the ravanette critically. Was he actually going to reveal his secrets? Or was this simply a rouse to get him stupidly optimistic? Before the detective had a chance to question him further, Akira nodded towards the bag of confiscated items which were sitting in a plastic tub at the corner of the room. 

“My cellphone. I think you’ll find it has all the damning evidence you want.”    
  


There was a moment of tense silence. No… It couldn’t be that easy. Something else was going on here. What it was, Goro had no idea, but there was no way Akira would spout nonsense to all of Sae-san’s interrogation questions, only to drop all of the answers into his lap. The world just didn’t work that way. 

After another moment, he narrowed his eyes. “Do you think I’m an idiot to fall for whatever convoluted scheme you’ve conducted here?”

For the first time since he was apprehended, Akira frowned. Weird as it was, it brought the detective a great amount of satisfaction to see the cocky attitude fall for even one moment. 

“Alright…”

All of a sudden, the confident air melted away into something Goro Akechi could actually recognize. Before he could even process it, the Phantom Thief leader facade melted away, and quiet, hard-to-read Akira was in his place. The change was so immediate, and Goro realized with increasing frustration that as much as the condescending air annoyed him, he’d have even more trouble getting anything from the boy who hardly talks to begin with. 

He groaned, eyeing the confiscated items cautiously, then looking to Akira. There was no discernible change in his blank expression. No hint of hope or eagerness, just empty acknowledgement. Swallowing his pride, he stood up and made his way over, fishing through the items before coming to his rival’s phone. At least if anything happened, there were cameras in the room. Then again, what exactly was he expecting? That the phone would blow up? If anything harmful were ingrained in the confiscated phone, it would’ve shown up under the scanners in the police station. 

Akira, just as he changed personalities before, was suddenly peppy and eager again, with a hint of trouble as though he were plotting something. It made Goro wary the way he was flipping back and forth. He had no clue Kurusu could be a man of so many different faces. Or, young man, at least… 

Akechi turned the phone on, the bright screen hurting his eyes a bit. “Fine. I’ve turned it on. Now what?”

“My password is ‘MONA’, all capital letters.” 

Mona… “Isn’t that the name of your  _ cat? _ ”

“Yes.”

He fought the urge to roll his eyes, but typed it in. The phone unlocked and there wasn’t much to see. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that there weren’t many apps on the home screen. Despite his normally reserved nature, Akira never seemed overly occupied with his phone like most people his age. It was another thing the detective related to. There was one app, however… 

Goro squinted at a red eyeball icon. It stood out immediately from the rest, pulsating on the screen and emitting a red glow onto the icons around it. It almost looked like something he would expect to find in a cult. He attempted to click on it, but it wouldn’t actually open into anything. His brows furrowed with confusion and mild frustration.

“You see it, don’t you?” Akira murmured, almost as though he were in awe. That look in his eyes was actually somewhat disturbing. 

“What is ‘it’ exactly?” 

“Evidence.” 

The brunette frowned disapprovingly, looking from the suspect to the app. “And what exactly do you want me to do with it?”

“Say this when you click it.  _ ‘Mementos’ _ .” 

Another terse moment of silence. Goro felt incredibly stupid doing this, starting to wonder if Kurusu was just running him into a wild goose chase for the hell of it. Still, perhaps it was actually important… Mementos. It could be some sort of password. 

He sighed, but did as instructed. 

“Mementos…?”

A female robotic voice sounded from the phone, and Goro was already beginning to regret his decision when he heard the words. “ _ Location confirmed. Beginning navigation. _ ”

  
  
  


**_Joker grinned_ ** .


	2. Kidnapping Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting dragged into another world, Goro finds himself at the mercy of his rival who turns out to be less than a normal human being. With strange powers against him, he finds himself swiftly apprehended and whisked away to the unknown.

He had never felt such a sickening sensation in his life… 

Goro clenched his eyes shut, a headache forming along with a touch of nausea. It almost felt as though the world were shifting around him. Churning… morphing… _changing…_ When he opened his eyes, every muscle seized up with shock. Gone were the clean white walls of the interrogation room, and in their place… a winding subway tunnel. Distorted, eerie, and extending far out into the darkness. A heavy cold draft blew an assortment of leaves, twigs, and general trash through. 

“You seem surprised, detective~”

The voice brought Akechi back to reality, or whatever reality could be considered right now given the circumstances. He whirled back around to face Akira, and started at the sudden change of clothes. In place of that wrinkled Shijun uniform was a dark grey vest, black pants, black boots, a long black overcoat, striking red gloves, and a mask… That wasn’t the most unsettling change, however. Those previously gunpowder grey eyes now glowed a magnificent shade of golden yellow. Before he could start a string of expletives, the raven haired boy held up his still cuffed hands and with a startling blast of energy like blue fire, the handcuffs _disintegrated_ …

Beginning to realize he’d screwed up in a way he never thought imaginable, Goro took several steps back. Akiria took several steps forward at the same time, his eyes no longer trained directly on his rival. Instead, they seemed to travel down to the small black electronic device in his hands. 

‘ _The phone… He’s after the phone...!_ ’

Despite the confusion of it all, his mind made the connection that this hadn’t happened until he took Kurusu’s damn instructions and opened that strange app on the phone! If he got here that way, perhaps he could return the same way, hence why Akira was fixated on getting it back. 

Akechi yanked away further, turning and taking off in a sprint. Swift footsteps were following down the degrading subway tracks after him. He pulled the phone back up and hastily typed back in the password. He was a mere millisecond from opening the app back up again when a force crashed into him from behind and he fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. He felt the cellphone getting yanked from his grip before there was anything he could do to stop it. Akira, breathing heavily from the surprise chase but looking pleased nonetheless, slipped the phone back into his pocket and with astonishing speed grappled the detective’s wrists and pinned him there. No amount of struggling would do any good in that position. 

“ _GET OFF ME!_ ” His words came out in more of a snarl as he thrashed around, trying desperately to get some sort of foothold. 

“Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this angry. Guess even the ‘Detective Prince’ has bad days, huh?” Akira leaned down and practically cooed in his ear. At this point, he was so radically different that Goro had trouble believing this was Akira at all. As if some mischievous little shit hijacked his body. 

He was about to retort when he heard a _‘whoosh’_ followed by a sort of metal sound. He strained his head to look back and caught a glimpse of handcuffs. But they weren’t any sort of normal handcuffs. They glowed that bright, magical, and _unnatural_ yellow, the same as his eyes did. It was as though they had just materialized out of thin air. Goro squirmed, trying to wrench his wrists free, but it was in vain. They were dragged behind his back and a firm click was heard as the cuffs locked in place. Much to his horror, a rope of similar luminescent yellow material was pulled from nothingness and his rival began to work on tying his ankles tightly together. Not so tight that it actually hurt, but enough to be uncomfortable and ensure loosening wouldn’t be an issue. Only then did the ravenette finally get off him and admire his work with sickening satisfaction. 

Now without even the option of running away, Goro could only struggle to maneuver where he was on his knees and not face down on the floor. Adrenaline still wracked his body as he glared at Kurusu and hissed venomously. “What the hell is this?!”

“I believe it’s called a kidnapping~”

The light brunette went slack jawed at how casually this was said, any sharp tongued response dying in his throat for a moment. He anxiously looked around, hoping that someone, anyone would be there to put a stop to this insanity. Hell, even Nijima-san! He’d vow to never ask her for sushi again if it meant he could close his eyes and open them back to the logically sound and grounded interrogation room. Of course, there was no one there. If there had been, they would’ve stepped in by now. Just him and Akira… 

Still, he wouldn’t allow himself to be the victim here. 

“There is _no_ version of this where you come out on top, Kurusu-kun! If you have any sense of self preservation, you’ll release me and turn yourself back in.” He glowered, but this only earned him a laugh. 

“Oh? Well, if I’m so deep in the water already, I might as well keep swimming down.” His rival reasoned. Goro recognized the phrase from a conversation they’d had about two months prior, where they debated whether it was more understandable to grow a conscience and turn back or continue down a depraved road. Not a debate on whether it was morally right, only understandable. It was one of the many philosophical discussions they’d had and he felt as though he were being mocked with it. “Besides, I’m not Akira Kurusu.”

Akechi’s brows furrowed, his shoulders stiff and tense as he stared up at the grinning figure. “What…?”

“Call me Joker~”

_Joker…?_ What kind of stupid name was that?

Then, he remembered something Sae-san said. How Akira had kept going on about ‘other worlds’ and ‘tarot cards’ during her interrogation of him. Was this ‘Joker’ name supposed to be following a similar theme? He could only vaguely make this connection because the Joker was the unpredictable factor in card games. 

He shook these speculations from his mind. “To hell with what you want! Take me back!”

_Joker_ only seemed to sigh at this, noting that his captive was displeased. “Unfortunately, that isn't on the agenda for today.”

Goro made a noise of protest that was drowned out when the raven plucked him up off the ground with surprising ease and carried him over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes, then began walking oh-so-leisurely down the tunnel. 

“Wha- PUT ME DOWN!” He shouted, trying to squirm around and make it harder to keep a hold on him. These efforts were for nothing, it seemed, as Joker sped up his walk and simply ignored the agitated shouting. With his hands bound behind his back and ankles tied together to prevent any attempts at kicking, there wasn’t much Goro could do. 

These yells, demands to be put down, and demands to know where Joker was taking him echoed down the tunnels for minutes upon minutes. Those minutes turned to hours before his voice gave out and exhaustion from his previous adrenaline high was beginning to seep in. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep his eyes focused and the rhythmic sensation of Joker’s walking and the swaying ground beneath his vision made him dizzy. He eventually closed his eyes to stave off the headache, telling himself he wasn’t going to fall asleep. 

Big mistake… 

His mind went foggy before unconsciousness swallowed all thoughts completely.

_Joker's POV:_

Joker felt his precious Justice Arcana go limp and silent, and he smiled to himself. Looks like a certain prince finally wore himself out. It was understandable, given all that had happened in such a short span of time. He was careful to walk as steadily as possible, so as to not jostle the brunette awake.

  
 _Now just to get him back to the palace_ …


	3. Palace of Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi awakens in an extravagant room, in clothes meant for no one lower than royalty, and more questions than he has answers. Unfortunately, a certain cocky thief isn't quite ready to give him clarity.

Goro breathed softly, confusion being the first thing his mind vaguely registered. A strange and unfamiliar warmth was enveloping him. He didn’t remember the blankets on his bed being so heavy. Even more, it was incredibly warm. More than normal, and he realized he was still wearing shoes. It wouldn’t be the first time he went to bed to bed wearing his clothes out of sheer exhaustion, but it still put him off a little His eyes blearily blinked open, expecting the agonizing light of morning to be seeping through the blinds and beckoning him to wake up again. 

Instead, a stark royal red fabric enveloped nearly all of his vision. His bedspread was supposed to be  _ brown _ . That’s when the aspect of unfamiliarity became too much and his eyes shot wide open with alarm. He jolted to a sitting position on the bed. A bed he’d never seen before, adorned with a deep red comforter and sheets. The headboard was ornate, something one would expect to find in a lavish mansion or wealthy resort. Definitely nothing that he, even as a celebrity, could afford. He nearly tripped on the sheets scrambling out of the bed, disoriented as he looked around the room. The bed was at the center of a large bedroom with decorative but not overly obnoxious curtains pulled to the side by thick golden tassels and showcasing several beautiful pane glass windows. The ceiling was high, with a small chandelier adorning it. 

Definitely  _ not  _ his second rate, nearly empty apartment… He felt like a mess, hair ruffled and hanging in his eyes while he floundered to his feet attempting to make sense of where he was. However, upon a quick glance down at his clothes, he began to think ‘mess’ wasn’t the best word. 

Not only did the room look like it belonged to royalty,  _ he was dressed like royalty! _

Akechi gaped for a moment at the pure white royal military suit he adorned, bringing his hands up to examine the red cuffs of his sleeves, trailing up to the tasseled shoulder ornaments. His normally black gloves had been replaced with white ones, a red cape-like extension hung off his back, and he was wearing boots. 

He might’ve spent two minutes mulling over this wardrobe change before the trance was broken and he rushed to the pane glass windows, looking out to get an idea of where he was. 

_ Nothing…  _

Even as he looked out, a stark blinding nothingness consumed every ounce of space outside. A rolling purple haze churned and filled the area, but apart from that there was no ground. Nothing to separate the sky from anything else. The mere image was enough to make Goro’s brain short circuit, trying to find some sort of reasoning or logic to what he was seeing. Eventually, it became too much and he backed away, turning from the nothingness outside the window and collecting his thoughts. 

That’s when it hit him.... 

Akira. 

The memories all came flooding back, crashing down and playing out like a movie in his mind. The interrogation room, to the app, then that weird subway tunnel. Kurusu-kun  _ kidnapped  _ him! Goro couldn’t believe he managed to pass out in such a situation, regardless of how exhausting the circumstances were. Now he didn’t even have the memories of how he got where he is to fall back on. An even more disturbing thought crossed his mind. Did  _ Akira  _ change his clothes?! He couldn’t think of any other explanation and a pit of unease formed in his stomach. 

With nothing else to do, he speedwalked to the double doors of the chamber and turned the long handle down. He was half expecting it would be locked, but it turned easily and opened with relative silence to reveal a long hallway with a red carpet decorating the ground. Lit candelabras were fixed to the wall, their flames flickering against the various surfaces restlessly. Goro swallowed hard, stepping out into the unknown territory and looking for any sign of life. Or, better yet, a certain raven haired thief who deserved a fist to the face. 

Turning a number of corners and finding many doors, some of which were locked and others being similar bedrooms, left him feeling like a mouse traversing through a maze. He was just on the verge of giving up and he came out of the winding hallways into the most gargantuas room he’d ever seen. 

Akechi’s mouth dropped open at the sight before him. He had come out on the second floor, one end of what looked to be a giant ballroom of polished floors. If he thought the chandelier in the room he woke up in was shocking, the one in this room could easily be worth millions of yen, assuming the sparkling gems glistening from it are real. And the  _ size  _ of it…! Easily several tons of gems and silver metalwork. A curved double grand staircase trailed down from the floor he was on to the ballroom below. On each side of the door he’d come out of were suits of armor set up standing straight and motionless with no notable bodies occupying them. 

He narrowed his gazing, noting how it almost seemed like the displayed armor was staring at him, but pushed it aside and turned back to the staircase leading down. 

“Enjoying the view, your highness?”

The voice sounded right behind him, so close he could feel the breath on his ear, and Akechi felt every muscle in his body seize up. He whirled around on a beat, just in time to catch a pair of yellow eyes before he lost his footing at the edge of a step and fell backwards. He clenched his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable tumble down, when a hand swiftly and firmly grasped his wrist and yanked him back up. He fell into ready arms, adrenaline spiked through the roof. 

“My bad. I guess I should’ve thought that through a little more.”

That’s when the voice registered in his mind and his eyes snapped back open. _ “You!” _

He immediately shoved Akira away with harsh force, nearly falling back down the stairs again in the process but managing to regain his balance at the last second. Every inch of him trembled with rage when he saw that smirk. At this point, given he’d been abducted, it would be counted in court as self defense if he were to attack Kurusu. 

And that’s exactly what he did. 

He dove forward, attempting to tackle the Phantom Thief leader to the ground, only to miss when Akira backflipped away and jumped onto the grand staircase railings. He slid down the railing with perfect grace before leaping off and landing on his feet at the bottom. It was the most stylish, aggravating, movie-stunt thing Goro had ever witnessed. The raven haired boy looked up at him from below with a smirk, beckoning him with one finger to follow. 

Goro didn’t enjoy the prospect of breaking his neck, so he simply walked- _ more like stomped _ \- down the staircase and seethed as he did. “I don’t know  _ where  _ this is, or  _ what  _ this is, but you have exactly thirty seconds to take me back before I  _ snap every bone _ in your body!”

Akira huffed out a laugh. “I always knew you were meaner than you let on.”

This certainly didn’t help to quell the agitated detective’s rage, only prompting him to speed up after reaching the bottom and grasp Akira by the folds of his coat and yank him forward. Even this didn’t seem to bother him, not attempting to dodge out of the way despite having ample time. There was something dangerous to his glowing eyes, however. Something inhuman and unnatural. 

“You so much as hit me once, and I won’t tell you  _ anything _ .” Akira- no, _ Joker _ \- whispered dangerously. “Not about where you are, why I’m doing this, how I’m doing it, or  _ how to get out. _ ”

Akechi froze. He’d never been able to read Akira, and though much more expressive now, he still couldn’t. Couldn’t tell if he was serious or not about this threat. As much as he wanted to bury Kurusu in the ground and stop on the grave, he wanted answers. That last unanswered question especially was what got him to swallow his anger and let go, though he didn’t step back or lighten his glare. If looks could kill, Joker would be dead and Goro would be stuck finding his own way out. 

Joker gave an expression of satisfaction that Goro wished he could smack right off. He was getting the inkling that he didn’t care so much about getting hit as he just enjoyed having complete control of the situation. 

In feigned innocence, the menace took a step back, folding his hands behind his back and examining the sparkling clean ballroom leisurely. “So… what do you think?”

The detective gritted his teeth at this. “What do I  _ think? _ I think you’re out of your mind!”

Joker chuckled. “What gave it away?”

“Take me back.” Goro demanded, hating his rival’s nonchalant attitude. “Take me back or I’ll have to find my own way out, and you’ll be all the worse for it when the police realize what you’ve done.”

“Oh, I’m sure. The entire country would be up in arms if they realized their precious ‘prince’ had been kidnapped. I’ll bet your most dedicated fans have already noted the disappearance. It is a school day, after all.” Joker hummed, not a care in the world behind those masked eyes. “I wonder, would this be good for your image, or detrimental? I’m sure you’d have the support and outrage of the masses upon surviving a hostage situation, but something tells me you don’t like being portrayed as the poor victim.”

Each word served to fuel resentment. He was right… Of all the circumstances, Goro didn’t want the subject of interest for the entire country being his kidnapping. Especially if he needed to be rescued by the police or other armed forces. It implied he wasn’t capable of fending for himself, or escaping such situations. Still, the moment he gets his hands on a phone, he’s calling the police. It was a poor decision on his part not to take his own phone with him into the interrogation room. He’d left it sitting on the desk outside. He wondered what the security footage looked like when he and Kurusu vanished. Did they vanish? It was all so confusing. All he knew was it took a mere blink for him to go from that room to the creepy subway tunnels. 

Akechi sharpened his stare. “I’m not going to entertain this conversation any further. Tell me how to get out, or leave.”

He realized the mistake in his words before Joker even responded. 

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to leave then. That’s fine… I still have a few things to settle before we can continue our little game. You understand, right?” He cooed, and before Goro could growl that ‘no’ he did  _ not  _ understand, nor would he accept this blatant belittling, Joker snapped his red gloved fingers. 

A trembling shake of metal was heard. 

Goro whirled his head around and his jaw dropped.

The suits of metal standing guard against the walls of the ballroom shook, as if generating the will to live, before breaking apart with a horrific clatter. The armor rattled before  _ levitating  _ into the air and swirling together to form a somewhat humanoid shape.  _ But there was nothing in there _ . The bits of armor, chestplate, and chainmail hovered close together, with no piece actually connecting, though occasionally clinking against each other. As though it were being inhabited by a ghost or spirit. Both carried spears, and there was that subtle yellow glow simulating eyes in the shadows of armor where the sockets should have been. 

He stumbled back as the enchanted suits began marching towards them, forgetting that Joker was standing right behind until he bumped into him. With little warning or hesitation, Joker pushed him forward, and the action gave the guards the leverage to grasp Goro’s arms, one on each side of him holding firm no matter how viciously he struggled. 

“Let go! Akira, you piece of attic trash, I swear-” He seethed out, trying to hide how perturbed he was. 

“Joker.” His rival corrected. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. I’ll be back tomorrow. I won’t leave my precious Justice Arcana without answers for too long.” Then, looking to the guards. “Take his highness back to his room, please~”

Goro sputtered at the manner Joker addressed him, ruffling his hair quickly as though he were a child and not an angry near-adult on the verge of foaming at the mouth. His rival turned away and began to walk off as the guards dragged a kicking and screeching detective back up the stairs and through the hallways… 


	4. Escaping the Guards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After managing to escape the sentient, but thankfully not all that intelligent shadows, Goro slips through the halls attempting to find an exit or answers. Things get stranger when he realizes there are more people involved in this madness than just Akira, a few of whom he recognizes.

There’s nothing quite as humiliating as being locked in a room like a toddler in timeout. 

Several hours were spent with Akechi ramming against the locked double doors before he finally slid against them with a huff. He was out of breath, and the only mercy he currently had was that this place, whatever the hell it was, seemed to have air conditioning. Or, at least, it was cool. He’d attempted coercing the suits of armor stationed outside to let him out, after learning that they were, to some degree, sentient. They refused, yet seemed apologetic and reverent of him. 

They kept addressing him as, ‘Your Highness’ and ‘Your Majesty’. 

Good grief… 

He never thought he’d be forced into a position where ‘detective prince’ would be taken literally. One might think this would be pleasing, to be addressed as royalty, but Goro only felt annoyed and frustrated each time this occurred. He wanted to go back to his sense of normalcy. Not be dressed head to toe in fine military fabric and thrown around by living hunks of metal. At the very least, the room he’d been confined to-  _ he refused to address it as  _ **_his_ ** _ room _ \- wasn’t devoid of entertainment. When it finally became clear he wasn’t getting those stupid doors open, he turned to the mahogy bookcase at the corner of the room. As much as he hated his current nonsensical situation, he refused to stay sitting on the ground sulking. 

The bookcase was brimming with various peculiar subjects. He skimmed over the titles with a frown.

_ The Power of the Mind: A glimpse into cognitive psience _

_ Cognitive Worlds and Correlating Breakthroughs _

_ The Science and Psychology of Mental Safehavens _

These books, with similar themes, filled nearly every shelf. Each one suggested contents involving psychological effects and sciences. He tentatively pulled out the first title he read, eyes skimming over the first few pages. It continued bringing up the term ‘cognitive psience’. He’d never heard of it before, but it seemed to be an extensively researched subject. His lips tightened into a thin line. Given everything else that’s happened, there must be some reason Kurusu-kun chose these books to satiate him. Unless they just happened to have always been there. Goro still couldn’t get a grasp of where he was when everything outside the windows looked like an empty void, and it was hard to envision Akira being the owner of a  _ castle _ . At least, that was the best word he could use to describe the building based on his surroundings. He sighed as the contents of the book became more complicated and confusing, sticking it back onto the shelf. 

His rusted red eyes lifted back to the double doors, and he called out sourly. “I know you’re both still there. If I’m really royalty, you should be obeying when I tell you to let me out.”

“Apologies, your highness.” A distorted, overlapped voice answered back. “We have direct orders from the Fool Arcana.”

The Fool Arcana… they must mean Akira. ‘Joker’, as he’s taken to calling himself. Goro groaned, dropping back down onto the mattress and staring blankly at the roof of the canopy above the bed. He was still angry, but the past however many hours had left him drained and no closer to a plan.

At least, there hadn’t been a plan until he noticed the manner in which his bed curtains were swaying back and forth. 

He’d already noted the room felt cool, but there was no solid evidence of a draft until now. And where there’s a draft, there’s usually a  _ vent _ . He nearly flew off the bed, before remembering the enchanted sentient armor right outside the doors. If he started making too much noise after supposedly giving up, they might get suspicious. And so he carefully and quietly began searching every corner of the unnecessarily large chambers. It wasn’t until he looked under the bed that he spotted it. 

A vent against the wall.

It was covered by a metal mesh, but perhaps he could kick it in. That only left one problem… Kicking it in was sure to make noise and attract the guards’ attention. Still, he didn’t see any other options. Trying to crawl out the window was out of the question, though he had briefly entertained it after realizing the panes could in fact be opened. He didn’t want to know what would happen to him if he fell into the void of nothingness. And so, he began carefully working the bed over so he could reach the vent. Not an easy feat… It was heavy, and it took removing the large comforters, sheets,  _ and  _ the mattress before it was light enough to be moved. Even then he strained against the bulky wooden frame, forced to take short breaks between moving it small intervals. 

Perhaps a trip to the gym every now and then wouldn’t be a poor investment, or maybe if he ate more than just an apple for lunch. 

Speaking of eating…

His stomach growled, and he exhaled heavily. He didn’t eat too much to begin with, and it was difficult to tell just how long it had been since all this started. There was nothing outside that hinted towards night or day. He hoped he could find some food before reaching an exit. That was assuming he didn’t immediately get caught in what he was about to pull. He winced with each scraping noise the bed frame made as he moved it. Unfortunately, though there was a rug at the end of the bed, he was moving it over floorboards as opposed to carpet. Definitely not the ideal situation, but he was being careful and had yet to hear the guards speak. 

As soon as it was out of the way came the hard part.

Akechi let out a shallow breath, eying the doors, then positioned himself in front of the grate. Now wasn’t the time to second guess himself. It wasn’t as though he was going to give up after all that effort. He brought his legs up, closing his eyes, and gave a hard kick to the metal mesh. 

_ CLANK…!  _

“Your highness, is everything alright?” A distorted voice called from outside the door, firm and alerted by the noise. Goro knew it would only seem more suspicious if he didn’t answer, so he snapped back at them. 

“You can’t hold me hostage in here and expect me  _ not  _ to trash the place!” For emphasis, he ran over to the bookshelf, grabbing a book and chucking it at the door. It hit its mark with a loud thud, and he proceeded to throw more things around in hopes of making it seem like he was just having a spontaneous tantrum. Then they might leave him to his devices. He suspected this was a good call, as the guard muttered a flabbergasted, ‘o-oh… carry on then.’ He made a bit more of a ruckus for good measure before going back to the metal grate. After another moment's hesitation, he landed another solid kick. It busted off, and he hastily worked at throwing some other stuff, just so the enchanted hunks of scrap metal garbage wouldn’t be alerted by the sudden silence. 

Finally, once he felt it was sufficient and was genuinely breathing heavily as though he had just had a fit- they didn’t need to know the  _ real  _ reason- he dove into the vent and began crawling. He was lucky that he fit, despite it still being cramped and dusty. Goro found himself almost army crawling for upwards of twenty minutes before he came out the other end into a different room. His previously clean white garments were dusty, not that he cared. He saw the doors to this room were shut and sucked in a breath as he hurried up to them. 

“ _ Don’t be locked, don’t be locked, don’t be locked- _ ” He anxiously whispered to himself as he turned the handle.

It clicked open… 

Two cautious glances to the left and right to make sure no one and  _ nothing  _ was there, and Goro darted from the room down the hallway. It occurred to him suddenly that he didn’t even have a plan here. He’d escaped, but if he gets caught again then the odds of him getting out will be slim. Either they’ll find some way to blockade the vent in the room he was in, or he’ll be moved into another one without one. Or, heaven forbid, Kurusu station the suits of armor  _ inside  _ the room. 

_ ‘No’ _ , He thought.  _ ‘I’m not going to get caught _ .’

It simply wasn’t an option, he reasoned weakly with himself. As is believing that strongly enough would make it true. He passed through the winding hallways, but avoided exiting through the doors he recognized as leading out to the ballroom. Going back to the ballroom wasn’t a good idea, given all the stationary suits of armor standing there. Only the two had moved at Joker’s command, but he had no doubt the others had heard his orders and would apprehend him were they to spot him outside the bedroom. 

The halls were strange… being lit so reverently with candles, for one, but there were no pictures or decorations. Just the aesthetic of clean walls and polished floors. He didn’t like the way his boots clicked against those floors. Each step was as good as yelling his location into a megaphone. 

“No, I don’t believe Sis knows yet-" A distant female voice caused Goro to pause, and he couldn’t help but feel as though he’d heard it somewhere before. 

He slowly crept towards the voice, sounding just beyond an archway, and peered around the corner. That’s when he saw her… It now became clear how he recognized her. Nijima-san’s sister, Makoto. He’d met her a few times before, mainly when he was forced to seek Sae at her own home for advice or to have her sign documents. He’d even been invited to supper once, on New Years, when it came out that he didn’t have anyone to spend it with. It was one of the first times he saw a softer side to the prosecutor. That being said, while he was sure he recognized the voice and hair as Makoto…

She was dressed like a hardcore biker!

Goro couldn’t help but blink a few times to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. She was wearing a sharp angled metal mask, spikes on her shoulder pads, and spiked iron knuckles. He cringed at the thought of getting punched by those. He just couldn’t fathom it. But no, as hard as it was to imagine Sae-san’s studious sister in such clothes, this was definitely her. It was only further confirmed as she continued speaking to a tall boy with a strange blue and white outfit, a tail of sorts, and a kitsune mask. 

There were several confused alarm bells going off in his head. Still, he almost stepped out to speak with her… until a turn of the head revealed her eyes. The usually striking red irises were yellow. Like Joker’s eyes. She wasn’t in on this with him, was she? What was happening here?! Unfortunately, right as he made this revelation, she spotted him. 

“Oh-!” 

He didn’t give her or the boy with the kitsune mask, whom he noticed had similar yellow eyes after turning to look at him, a chance to approach him. He took off like a bullet, not even certain where he was going as he sped down corridors and unfamiliar territory. 

“Akechi-san, wait!” He heard Makoto call out after him, and almost stopped to turn back, but he remembered the yellow eyes and deemed he wasn’t going to take that risk. There was something horribly wrong going on here, and trust felt like a flimsy thing to give until he had solid answers. 

The two sets of footsteps were racing after him. They were still around the corner. He took the chance and dove into the first unlocked door as swift and silent as he could. He shut it behind himself, hoping to whatever gods were out there that they hadn’t seen him. A quick glance around the room didn’t reveal anyone, but it certainly didn’t look as though it was unoccupied. There were figurines and various items decorating the shelves, some of which he recognized as featherman action models. The bed was messy and unmade with black sheets and thin trails of bright green along the edges. A bag of chips was open on the bedside table. He thanked no one in particular under his breath that the owner of this room seemed to be somewhere else and hurriedly crawled under the bed. 

Their footsteps raced closer, before slowing just outside the door. He could see their shadows beneath the frame and tensed. But they didn’t open the door… The boy, who turned out to have a rather mature voice, spoke first, a little out of breath. “Did you see where he went?”

Makoto, also winded, answered disappointedly. “No… We should let Joker know.”

Goro’s eyes widened. His gut had been right. And she was addressing him as Joker, not Akira… Just what was going on here?! He swallowed his questions down and kept silent. 

“I doubt he’ll be surprised.” The one with the kitsune mask mused, having collected himself and not seeming very worried about the situation. “I wasn’t expecting a few measly shadows to keep a hold on the Justice Arcana anyway. Should we keep searching for him, Queen?”

‘ _ Queen? _ ’ Goro thought, brows furrowed.

“No.” Makoto answered. “Let’s head back. It’s not as though he can leave without the navigator. He’ll turn up eventually.”

With that, he heard their footsteps traverse away. Even after those steps had faded into complete silence, he waited several more minutes beneath the bed to be certain. His heart was pounding harshly against his chest, and it took many slow breaths before he was able to think clearly. Why was  _ Makoto  _ of all people in on this… this… whatever it was?! He didn’t want to call what was happening around him magic. Magic was a stupid fantastical word to use when something didn’t make sense. A shortcut for when people didn’t care enough to find logically sound explanations. 

Saying he was tired would be an understatement… 

“ _ Gotcha! _ ”

And with that, his entire body went rigid.


End file.
